The most desirable package for an article which is to be shipped, stored and eventually used is one which at reasonable cost provides protection for the article and displays it attractively. If the package is to be more than a throwaway, it must be designed to conveniently and efficiently carry out whatever additional function it is to perform following initial opening and withdrawal of the packaged article.
Frequently a package is designed to accommodate more than a single article; that is, the package may contain a plurality of identical articles or may contain different articles, as, for example, articles to be used together. Such packages must be designed for maximum efficiency and convenience to the user.
The oral thermometer package herein described and shown as a particular example of the invention comprises (1) a protective package for the fragile thermometer, (2) space for a stack of individual sanitary sheaths, and (3) a cap by which the package may be opened for withdrawal of the thermometer and a sheath and reclosed after replacement of the thermometer to retain and protect the contents of the package. The structural design of the package is such that it can be produced at low cost by thermoforming.
The thermometer is inserted into the package by sliding it into the trough from the open end at the end of the package which is open when the cap is moved out of the way. The space requirement for the thermometer is minimized by providing keepers which extend outwardly with respect to the receiving trough as well as inwardly toward each other so that it is possible to make the trough somewhat shallower than the diameter of the thermometer. In this way, for a given thickness of the package, maximum space can be reserved for the stack of sheaths below the thermometer. Also, material requirements are minimized with resulting cost saving.
By staggering the keepers, a package for articles, such as catheters which include long, flexible plastic tubing and which may be loaded and unloaded through the open side of the trough, may be provided.
The principal object of the invention is to provide space and cost efficient protective packaging for long, thin, round articles, such as, for example, thermometers, drills and the like. A further object is to provide such a package which may be made by thermoforming plastic material.
Another object is to provide a package containing an oral thermometer and a supply of sanitary sheaths with provision for easy opening and withdrawal of the thermometer and a sheath and for reclosing of the package after reinsertion of the thermometer to protect the thermometer and remaining sheaths.